Generally, the space in which the row or rows of rolling elements are located is protected from the outside by an outer annular seal arranged between the rings.
To further improve this seal-tightness and increase the life of the annular seal, it has already been proposed to provide an annular protective cover on top of the seal, generally of L-shaped section, the radial branch of which has an inner portion inserted into a peripheral groove of the inner ring of the bearing. This cover is fixed using pins which are inserted into inclined holes formed in the inner ring of the bearing, from points outside the cover, and which pass though this inner portion.
This arrangement is axially bulky and is complicated to implement. Furthermore, it presents a difficulty associated with the accessibility of the pins in view of the surrounding parts of the machine, if it presents a need to dismantle the cover for a cleaning or seal change service, for example, and to reassemble the cover.